Conventional diesel powered systems for engines, factories, and power plants produce emissions that contain a variety of pollutants. These pollutants may include, for example, particulate matter (e.g., soot), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur compounds. Due to heightened environmental concerns, engine exhaust emission standards have become increasingly stringent. In order to comply with emission standards, machine manufactures have developed and implemented a variety of exhaust treatment components to reduce pollutants in exhaust gas prior to the exhaust gas being released into the atmosphere. The exhaust treatment components may include, for example, a diesel particulate filter, a selective catalytic reduction device, a diesel oxidation catalyst, a fuel-fired burner for regeneration of the diesel particulate filter, a muffler, and other similar components.
Frequently these exhaust treatment components, including their associated sensors and electronics, are mounted individually in an exhaust system within the available space using individual brackets. However, due to the increasing complexity and number of exhaust treatment components and the small amount of available space, mounting and interconnecting exhaust treatment components has proven difficult. Furthermore, mounting the aftertreatment equipment in the vicinity of the engine can result in difficulty in accessing the engine.
One example of aftertreatment equipment coupled to an engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,143 to Matsumoto et al (the '143 patent). The '143 patent discloses an engine mounted on the vehicle body and a muffler connected to an exhaust port of the engine to reduce the noise level of exhaust gas. The '143 patent also discloses a pair of supporting levers to support the muffler, where one end of the supporting levers is pivotally connected to the vehicle body. The '143 patent further discloses a pair of linkages pivotally connected between the engine and the muffler supporting levers, whereby a vibration caused by the engine can be absorbed by combined operation of the supporting levers and the linkages.
Although the device of the '143 patent may include pivotally connected supporting levers to help prevent damage to the muffler due to vibrations, it may still obstruct or inhibit access to engine components, making servicing and maintenance of the engine difficult, particularly in the field.
The disclosed device is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.